The Beautiful Salads

Almost ten years ago I got hired at a fast food restaurant. Life was rough, as it had been particularly after July2010. That’s when en route to continuously pursuing my writing goals, I was traumatized in some way after attending Wildacres Writing Conference.

I still have no resolution about that. So what to do?

What I always do. Carry on.

So I carried on in Wendy’s restaurant in Wilmington, N .C.

Did I feel the job was beneath me?

Certainly not.

A typical fast-food restaurant is filled with many diverse, hard- working people trying to earn an honest wage. And I found something to love there.

Sometimes I was assigned to prepare salads for the day. A variety of colorful, delicious salads.

I found the chopping and measuring and packaging delightful! I was pretty strict about following the directions. The result was usually a batch of salads that some employees began to recognize as “Kim’s salads.”

I was so proud when someone once commented, “I can tell who made the salads today, because they’re beautiful.”

I once had words with one of the owners about the lack of kitchen organization and some necessary tools.

I looked him in the eyes one day and asked, “What does it take to get some g#@&$! measuring spoons around here?”

I had beautiful salads to make.

Looking forward to that task saved my life some days. I do not exaggerate.

I read somewhere a good leader gives employees something to look forward to. Why not create a happier place by matching employees with tasks they enjoy? This is very possible in many jobs. Everyone did not like making salads.

Just like in my writing perspective, in my approach to all kinds of works, I can usually find something good to keep me going.

Even a leafy green salad in a fast-food restaurant on Shipyard Road.